


Steve Turns Old

by edgykawa



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Family, Awesome Sarah Rogers, Birthday, Birthday Fluff, Birthday Party, Birthday Presents, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Domestic Avengers, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Modern Era, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Unconventional Families, Unconventional Proposal, Vibranium (Marvel), steve Turns 100
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 11:34:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15169871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edgykawa/pseuds/edgykawa
Summary: Bucky figures, he missed way too many of Steve's birthdays and now that they're together and no one is trying to end the world that he should give him the best birthday yet.





	Steve Turns Old

July 4th, 1945 would be known as the last Independence Day any given American would face under World War II circumstances. The day was monumental to many, especially a woman; a British agent living in America named Peggy Carter. It would have been any normal day for her since she wasn’t a blood born American except it had been her best guy’s birthday. Sadly, he wasn’t around to enjoy it with her.

Steve Rogers, better known as Captain America, died. The headlines wouldn’t shut up about it. Radios, television, the newspaper; no one wanted to give poor Agent Carter a break from hearing about her best guy, her guy, meeting his untimely demise. He was good, a man pure of heart and strong morals to guide him through the perils of Nazi-Hydra Camps across Europe. As the story was told, he died fighting to save the world as he heroically crashed a plane right into the Arctic.

Years began to pass the young woman by and yet every July 4th she would light candles instead of fireworks and have a nice night alone until she had a husband to share it with. Celebrating the life of her partner had become a much more significant thing to her and over the years she continued to do it. Even so, seventy long years later she still managed to remember the stories of her best days where she stood alongside the famous Captain America himself, fighting back against Hydra, telling stories to her niece.

Up until the very end, Peggy Carter was a fighter and although chemistry and biology disagreed, she remembered her Captain America.

\---

Today is July 4th, 2018. Steve Rogers was sleeping in, or he hoped to, but he didn’t get that with his _boyfriend_ , maybe _fiancé_ , not _husband_ , whatever they were anymore. Bucky didn’t hesitate to wake his _lover_ at nine am on the dot. He placed his right hand down between his shoulders, pressing into him lightly.

“Stevie,” he whispered. “C’mon. Up and at ‘em Cap.”

Steve hadn’t always been a heavy sleeper which was both a blessing and a curse. He didn’t wake up at little things anymore like the buzz of his phone or the door being opened but now he was nearly impossible to wake up in the morning.

Right now he was certainly too asleep to be woken up by Bucky’s gentle tone. The brunet needed a new plan of attack.

Bucky huffed, kissing on that defined jawline with a grin on his lips. Plan B normally worked.

“Get up you lazy hunk of meat,” Bucky whispered quietly, pecking the shell of his ear as light as possible.

The sheets under them ruffled before anything else on him moved. Steve was slow to wake; if he wasn’t taking an early morning run he needed coffee.

“Later…” he sleepily muttered into the pillow. “Wake me up later.”

The brunet huffed out a laugh, his hand made of metal running circles on his lover’s broad shoulders once again.

“No, no. I’m not letting you sleep in more old man. Get up.” Bucky teased, hooking his hands on the rim of their bed sheets and yanking them down to expose the lazy blond in bed.

 Steve shuttered, rolling over and opening his eyes. There was a bit of a glare when he stared down the ex-assassin but it faded all too fast. Something about the softness in his eyes was too much for Steve to even consider being upset with.

“You better have made some coffee, jerk.” He spoke, prying himself off the warmth of their bed and sitting up to stretch.

Bucky laughed again, feeling a little overcome with emotions he couldn’t remember ever having. “I did, I did.” He stood, holding out his arms for the blond and expecting a hug.

Steve looked at him, cocked head and dorky smile. “Let me freshen up before you lay on the PDA, alright?”

“PDA literally means _a public_ display of affection. Are we in _public_?” Bucky corrected, turning around and padding towards the door.

“Just hurry up so your breakfast doesn’t get cold, punk. Oh, and, put on pants.” Bucky then actually left the room and Steve went to the bathroom so he could spruce up.

Steve eyed himself in the mirror was something he often did back when he had first been given the serum. He saw a lot of himself in posters and in films which had been a big confidence boost but also not what he wanted to be seeing. To him it was strange, having the same face but a very different body.

Rather than in the 1940’s he had grown a lot, or so he could day about himself. He grew a full beard, something he learned Bucky really liked, his eyes looked more green than blue to him most days too. He had scars on his cheeks and across his forehead which didn’t stand out too much, but he knew himself better than anyone else and they did bother him on some bad days.

Doing as he was told, Steve threw on some sweatpants and a plain black t-shirt before he left the room. He should have expected it but when he opened the door to see balloons around their living room and confetti almost everywhere it would stick he was more than surprised.

“There’s the old guy. Get your ass over here, Cap.” A familiar voice, one of a marksman that brought a laudable amount of humor to the close-knit group. When Steve had a moment to assess and attack he could see the six people he cared most about in the world, his family.

Starting with Clint who was in pajamas and sliding around on the confetti strips on the floor in socks, who then toppled onto Bruce, in less like pajama attire, who had been minding his own business. Tony was on the couch laughing, gym shorts and t-shirt; Natasha sipped on sangria from the kitchen. She seemed to be the only one really dressed. Thor was even there, dressed as normal, looking at some of the old WWII memorabilia that hung on the walls. Bucky was waiting outside the door, wearing some red Henley shirt and sweats that got passed between him and Steve, giving the sweetest most heartfelt smile that had been seen thus far.

“You plan this, Buck?” Steve asked, wiping his palms on his eyes and honestly trying not to cry like a baby.

“Well, I-” He was cut off.

“Planned every last bit of it. Called me first, asked me to help, of course. But the balloons and the confetti, the whole nine yards, Cap.” Tony chimed. “He sure is a keeper.”

Bucky flushed, looking his lover in the eye and giving a big goofy and grin. “Happy birthday, Stevie. Imagine what Sarah would say if she knew you were gonna live to a hundred.”

Steve curled his lower lip between his teeth before wrapping his arms around Bucky’s neck, pulling him in and hugging him tightly. “God, Buck, could this get any better? Thank you.”

Lightly, the brunet pushed Steve off but only far enough to kiss him. Nothing made him happier than knowing he did something right and that Steve was happy.

“Hey, hey, hey, Barnes, isn’t that supposed to be saved for tonight?” Clint shot back in. The comment won him a gentle smack upside the head from Nat.

Embarrassed, Steve pulled back from Bucky. There was a moment of quiet before the Asgardian’s voice boomed through the silence of the living room.

“Jane sent me with some coffee so there is a pot of it in the kitchen. Or there is the beverage the widow drinks, smelling of wine.” Thor, after years, still wasn’t totally adapted to Earth it seemed.

“Yeah, it’s called sangria and there’s plenty left. For now.” Natasha added, holding out her glass to Steve who seemed more than happy to go and take it from her.

It really felt like they were all back together, something they hadn’t had in a long time. Bruce had been, well, missing for a long time, Thor back home on Asgard, Tony funding growing minds, Natasha dropped off the grid, and Clint had been living the quiet life out on the countryside like he had always done. There wasn’t a lot of time where the six of them, plus Bucky, got to spend together.

Everything was in place for a chill and relaxed Wednesday morning to celebrate a birthday. The whole morning was wasted telling stories about Steve, lots of them more than embarrassing. Bucky loved to tell stories of Steve from before he had become a super soldier. They even got around to playing a few drinking games but it didn’t work well since the Winter Soldier and good old Captain America couldn’t get drunk anymore.

Still, they messed around. They were a good happy group and when they left in the evening it would be one they all remembered. Breakfast lasted until about five and then Bucky politely kicked everyone out so he could get Steve ready for the dinner date he had reservations for.

Steve had insisted time and time again that Bucky didn’t have to spend time or money on some fancy dinner outside the house when he would be perfectly content just having dinner at home together. Bucky wouldn’t listen though, being as stubborn and hot-headed as he was.

“Go. Get in the shower you smell like wine and it’s only the beginning of the evening.” Bucky pushed, literally shoving Steve towards their bedroom.

Steve obeyed, he was a good puppy, but he did like to put up a fight, letting out an attitude he would only ever let Bucky see in him. “Join me?”

Bucky just spat out a laugh in reply. “You’re fuckin’ nuts if you think you’re gonna get me naked this early in the day.”

The blond sighed and shook his head. “You say it like it hasn’t happened before, right? Well, it was worth a shot.”

There was no argument after that, Steve got in the shower and then left it running so Bucky could rinse off too. By the time Bucky got in the water was still hot and the bathroom was warm in contrast to their bedroom.

He had set out an outfit that he wanted Steve to wear on the bed, hoping it was not too subtle and he would get the hint to put it on. The hint was enough for him to get dressed up in the button up shirt and complementing tie.

Not a lot of places were open on Independence Day but luckily some of them still were, which was a blessing to Bucky because he liked being able to take Steve out on his birthday for dinner.

Steve was dressed and his hair was fixed up, facial hair was delicately trimmed so that it didn’t look scruffy, and he was waiting patiently for his lover to let him know they were going to get going soon. He found himself occupied in his art like he always was. Something he had noticed when everyone had left was that his sketchbook had been moved and it was open.

Luckily, Steve was never someone to be embarrassed by his art. Although, most of it was drawings of Bucky, both from way back then in uniform and now when he would lay face down on the couch and conk out. Bucky had always been Steve’s favorite model, after all, prettier than any dame that he had ever come across.

It wasn’t too much longer that Bucky emerged from their bedroom in a similar look but in different hues. He wore a lot of light blue now a day, it made everything on him look so much better in Steve’s eyes. Not that Bucky could look any better than he already did.

“Are you ready to go?” He asked, shuffling through the living room and peeking into what Steve was doing. It was a long time ago that Bucky had stopped being surprised when he caught Steve sketching him on some paper but it never failed to evoke a warm sensation in his chest.

He closed his sketchbook, sliding it away from him on the table and standing to be level with Bucky. “Yeah, I am.”

There was a grin on both of their faces, neither of them trying at all to hide the eagerness. They were both happy that they got to celebrate, spend an evening out together. Back then, they never could and until now it seemed like there was always some rules to be discussed or someone that needed to be taken down.

For the first time in a while, the pair felt like they could do something on their own accord and as much as Steve may argue, he’s happy as long as he gets to spend his time with Bucky, no interruptions.

Today though, Bucky was determined to make this more special than anything else because they had lost time to make up for. They had over seventy-five years worth of missed time, not to mention the years between when Bucky had gone MIA and then into hiding after the incidents in D.C.

Dinner was just the tip of the iceberg today; at least that’s how it went down in Bucky’s mind. They would take the bike out to the restaurant, which they did, and they would have a sweet and romantic dinner, which they also did.

They talked about back in the 40’s and they talked about their earlier childhood, like when Steve would get roped into doing things he didn’t really want to do just so that he could make Bucky happy and despite contrary belief, vice versa was also common for them. There were countless times Steve had Bucky model and pose for him, go to art shows together and sneak around like children.

All those memories of being carefree kids were what made up the conversations of their dinner and neither could be happier about it. Being able to relive what really did feel like a hundred years was enough to get them on the ropes with their emotions.

Once their dinner had come to an end, Steve thought from there they just went home and did what the night would lead them to do but again, that wasn’t the plan. It was shocking enough when Bucky took the front seat on his bike but Steve never told him no; he knew they both liked to ride so why wouldn’t he let him?

For a moment, as they pulled out of the spot they had parked in, Steve thought perhaps Bucky was going to take him somewhere that they had a significant moment at but it wasn’t long until he realized they were heading towards the cemetery.

“Bucky,” Steve croaked out, wondering if this was really a good idea. Yes, he should visit his parents’ graves more often but of all days, today? He knew there was probably a plan.

The brunet shook his head, placing his hand back on Steve’s calf. “Relax. Don’t you think they should celebrate your birthday with you too? At least this birthday, yeah?”

Something about the words he said and the way he said them really had Steve over the edge, wiping his eyes and pressing his forehead into the back of his lover's shoulders. “You love me way too much, Buck.”

Bucky laughed again, finding a spot to park the bike and dismounting with Steve’s hand in his own. “Oh, c’mon you punk, I’m only doing what we should have been doing the last, fuck, eight decades.”

The blond really did take those words to heart, walking with Bucky to the spot he used to go to when he needed help. Steve was raised a Catholic and when he needed some motherly advice he didn’t hesitate to stop by to see her and have a talk with her. After all, she was the first person who knew about Bucky when Steve had developed a crush on him.

Once they had actually arrived at the stones, two next to each other with matching last names, Bucky sat down, crossed leg between both. “Mrs. Rogers,” he started in a very cheery tone. “Today Steve turned. Old.”

“You’re older than me, Buck.” Steve retorted, sitting down next to him and intertwining their fingers.

“Right, right, well shut up. I’m tryna talk to your ma.” He shook his head and turned back to the stones in front of them, talking as if people were there in front of him. The gesture would have been sweet on its own, but Steve of all people that Bucky didn’t follow a faith or believe in tales of an afterlife.

After that, the blond mostly kept his mouth shut, listening to what Bucky had to say to his mom and his dad, wondering how long he would go on but really he wouldn’t mind if it went on longer. It made him feel enveloped in warmth when this happened.

It really wasn’t much longer, Steve zoned out and he felt bad but he would keep quiet about it. Bucky stood up from under him, their hands still together and the tug snapped him out of it enough to stand up and smile to the brunet.

“Now we can go home, alright? You wanna drive?” Bucky asked, giving his hand a squeeze. The date had gone just as he planned and he was ever so grateful for that.

“Oh, you mean you won’t? I like having a chauffeur to drive me around. Makes me feel like hot shit.”  Steve shot back at him, giving a grin in his direction.

Bucky snorted, doubling over in laughter once he heard the words leave his lovers mouth. “You spend _way_ too much time around me oh my god. Yeah come on I’ll drive.”

Steve liked seeing the part of Bucky that reminded him of the way back into their early adult lives and their teenage years. Sure that he had always been in the shadows watching Bucky chase skirts and sometimes he would get jokes and pick up lines tested on him, things that made them both laugh most of the time.

“Home. It may be my birthday but I have a thank you gift waiting there for you.” Steve mentioned through his laugh, looking at his partner with eyes holding a million emotions.

The brunet cocked his head, looking a little confused. “How can you have a thank you gift for me when you didn’t even know this was a plan? Unless you mean-“ He stopped mid-sentence, eyeing Steve questionably.

“Yeah. I do. So shall we?” Steve gestured, his arm swung out wide.

“Is that what you’d really like to do?” Bucky asked, his Brooklyn accent twining hard in his voice. “’Cause it was my plan anyway, Cap.”

Steve smiled, leading them towards the bike. “I’m sure it was. You planned a lot for me, and I appreciate it more than anything else anyone has ever done for me. You know the way I tick and you take advantage of how well you know me and I couldn’t be more grateful.” He took a breath, hoping Bucky was catching all of what he was saying.

“You made me the happiest kid in Brooklyn all those years ago and here I am, celebrating my one-hundredth birthday, god I sound old, with the one guy I’ve always wanted to spend it with. And he planned the whole day out just for me? That’s insane.” Steve turned his head, looking back at the bright blue eyes on Bucky’s face and he swore they welled up with tears for a moment but he let it go.

“Thank you for all of this. Bucky, I really mean it. It’s everything to me and I couldn’t have asked for anything more. I love you, yknow.”

That was when Bucky snapped, yanking Steve towards himself and pressing their lips together in a bit of a feisty attack. He wouldn’t let this opportunity pass him up.

Together, they stood there for a moment, enjoying the others embrace and warmth until eventually, Steve pulled back off of him, smiling. “Home?”

“Yeah, I told you, there _is_ one more part of your gift.”

And as if Steve expected any less, when they got home it seemed like Bucky had very thoughtfully had someone come over and set up the apartment for the perfect date night. There were wine and desserts, a small cake, blankets, dimmed lights, candles, everything and anything that would make it whole.

“Happy Birthday, Stevie. I love you even if you’re an old man senior citizen now.” Bucky teased, leading him right to the couch and sitting him down.

“The last gift, it’s not big. My ma gave me this for ‘when I was ready’ whatever that means. I had it converted a little bit though, not the real original.” Bucky sat next to him, fiddling with something small in his hands.

“This one is yours. Hold out your hand.” He nudged, taking Steve’s hand from on his lap and dropping a small golden ring into the palm of his hand.

“I think my ma always knew I loved you, more than any gal I ever brought back home. She knew you meant more to me and I think that’s why when she gave these to me she also said that it would probably fit you. Crazy woman.” Bucky gave a shyer smile this time, breathing past a laugh.

“Had to get it adjusted anyway though, changed a lot since the last time she saw you.”

Steve felt like this was the thing that really topped the rest of the day, sliding the ring onto his left hand and nodding. “That’s what this is for right?” He asked, holding up his hand to show the ring on his finger.

Bucky gave a nod, holding up his left hand, although made of metal he wore a matching one, one Steve presumed had belonged to his dad or something like that. The Vibranium in his hand allowed it to stay in place, making sure it didn’t slip off or anything like that since he knew he wouldn’t be able to feel if it did.

“You realize, Buck, that you just outdid yourself by about a thousand and one, right? Can you even top this?” Steve asked, turning and placing a kiss on the back of his lover’s metal hand.

“Yeah, I know. I don’t plan to outdo it. This birthday? It’s the most important one you’ll ever have.”

Steve smiled again, nodding with the statement. “You’re right. The most important one I’ll ever have.”


End file.
